208 26. Story of the Twenty-sixth Statuette, SR, MR

uneleanness of child-birth here/ * Is there no time-limit to it ? 9
c For life this lasts, and there can be no further birth; this is be-
cause of the power of my son. (You ask) who was born to me in
this dearth of all property ? A son named Poverty!' "
The king said: " O brahman, what do you ask for ? " The brahman
said: " 0 king, your majesty is a tree of wishes for your suppliants.
Bring it about that my poverty shall be destroyed for the rest of my
life." The king said: " This Cow of Wishes here will give you what
you wish; take her." So he gave him the Cow of Wishes. And the
brahman, feeling as if he had gained the bliss of paradise, took the Cow
of Wishes and went to his own place. And the king returned to his
city.

Having told this story the statue said to King Bhoja: " O king, if
such magnanimity is found in you, then mount upon this throne."
And hearing this the king was silent.

Here ends the twenty-sixth story

METRICAL RECENSION OF 26
When King Bhoja once more came forward to ascend the throne, the well-formed
words of a statue were heard: " If such courage, magnanimity, and firmness bloom
forth in you, O Hng, then seat yourself upon this his throne." And when he, being
anxious to hear, askt her to tell a tale, she related a story belonging to the Adventures
of Vikramaditya. [6]
There was in olden time a king of the whole earth, Vikramarka, in the abundance
of whose glory the fame of the kings of former time was lost. While he was ruling the
earth and protecting it from any shock of violence, and was delighting the gods with
the numerous sacrificial festivals which he constantly engaged in, the "King of the Im-
mortals pjadra] once entered into the divine assembly-hall with the immortals. He
was attended by many princes and lordly seers, along with the countless throngs of
gods and Candra [the moon] his minister, and with the overlords of the gandharvas
headed by Vi§vavasu; also (the heavenly nymphs) Ghrtaci and Menaka and Bambha
and Sahajanya and Tilottama and UrvacI and Sukecjt along with Priyadar§ana were
at hand, and the eight Magic Powers, and the eight supreme deities of the Directions;
all these came together and attended the glorious feet of Great Indra. And (the seer)
Narada and others'who stood in this so great assembly, being given leave, engaged
in the praise of virtuous men* Then NSxada said to Indra: *' All the virtuous kings
together cannot surpass King YikramUditya. Abounding in nobility and courage,
endowed with manliness and magnanimity, he alone protects the people of the world,
with unimpaired valor." Indra was amazed at the words of Narada, and looking
at the Cow of Wishes who stood by his side, he said: " Do you go and examine his
virtues." [26]
Receiving the command of Great Indra, the Cow of Wishes went to the earth, and
fell into a difficult pit, and floundered there, like an ordinary cow. Now the Mug,